Page 42 of Blocked Shot
She doesn’t want more dates.
She wantsJake.
Jesse looks up, suddenly unsure he likes what Mila is implying. “She doesn’t want to date.”
“I just think it’s a shame,” Mila continues. “A beautiful, talented woman like Natalie—wasting all her time cooking for a bunch of hockey players instead of, I don’t know, meeting someone who appreciates all her… talents. Wouldn’t you agree, Jesse?”
“She doesn’t want to date,” Jesse repeats stubbornly. “She doesn’t have time.”
Natalie shoots Mila a warning glare, her cheeks warming. She knows exactly what she is doing, and judging by the furrow between Jake’s eyebrows, he does too.
“I do fine, thanks,” Natalie says, looking prim. “Not everyone needs to be constantly dating, Mil.”
“No, but it wouldn’t kill you to at least try,” Mila teases. “Unless, of course, you already have someone in mind?”
Natalie swallows hard, refusing to look at Jake. But she feels his stare, too close, too intense. Her breath hitches when his knee brushes against hers under the table.
“I think I’ll survive. Besides, I’m taking two more courses in the spring,” Natalie says absently. “That’s my New Year’s resolution. To finish college.”
Jake says nothing, but when she finally risks glancing at him, his eyes are bright. There’s a softness in his gaze, a quiet admiration, like he’s memorizing every little detail.
“And you, Mila?” Theo asks. “What’s yours?”
Mila sets her wine glass down, eyes sparkling. “Mine is to meet a ruggedly handsome hockey player who sweeps me off my feet.”
Natalie swears she sees Theo sit up a little straighter.
Jesse groans and makes a face. “Ugh. Can younottry to cuff one of my teammates? You’re basically my sister.”
Mila shoots him a smirk. “Relax, Baby J. I don’t bite.”
She leans back in her chair, the teasing slipping from her voice. “Okay, real answer? I’m climbing the ladder at work. No more letting people treat me like I’m someone’s assistant. That part of my life is officially over.”
Natalie smiles, pride tugging at her chest. Her best friend is a badass. She can already picture her in a sleek corner office, shattering glass ceilings.
She’s proud—soproud—but there’s an ache there, too. Mila is everything she was supposed to be: brilliant, ambitious, unstoppable. She earned her degree, carved out a name for herself in a competitive industry, and walks through the world like she owns it.
But Natalie stayed.
She buried her parents and never went back to school. Sometimes it feels like her life stopped while Mila’s kept climbing, reaching higher, shining brighter.
Still, she means it when she says, “You’re going to own that office one day.”
Dinner continues with more laughter until everyone is stuffed and feeling warm and content. Natalie sinks into her chair, pleasantly full, a satisfied smile playing on her lips. When the chatter around the table slows to content murmurs, she and Jesse clear the table of dishes, pack up leftovers for each guest, and adjourn to the living room.
The room hums with the warmth of holiday cheer as a few gifts are exchanged, the crinkle of wrapping paper falling to the floor in a soft cascade. Amid the flurry of gift exchanges, Jesse thrusts a sloppily wrapped box into Natalie’s hands, the bow on top barely hanging on. His grin is wide, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
“Open it, Nat.”
The box is heavier than she expected, its weight sparking her curiosity. She peels back the paper gingerly, careful to preserve the bow as she goes. When she lifts the lid and sees the sleek box of a silver MacBook inside, her breath catches.
“Jesse—” Her voice wavers. “This is too much.”
Jesse waves off her protest, puffing out his chest like he’s scored the game-winning goal. “Don’t be ridiculous. I have money now.”
His smirk is all confidence, but there’s something earnest beneath it. “Besides, your old laptop is a piece of junk. This one’ll be way better for your classes.”
Emotion swells in Natalie’s chest, making words feel small and inadequate. Instead she pulls him into a tight hug, pressing a kiss to his temple and ruffling his hair like she used to when they were kids.
